


DANGER

by IcyJadeXOXO, Section Eight Entertainment (IcyJadeXOXO)



Series: The Hunter Chronicles [16]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-10
Updated: 2012-10-10
Packaged: 2017-11-16 06:13:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/536380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/IcyJadeXOXO, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/Section%20Eight%20Entertainment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danger erupts as Alex Hunter and the Vadzel crew help Jack Hartnell recover stolen nuclear weapons from a terrorist, who used to have close ties to Jack. AU Part of 'The Hunter Chronicles'. Follows "Trouble".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES : Part of the series "The Hunter Chronicles". Follows "Trouble". Just felt that the series is due for an update. This is a JackAl story, primarily. Other characters are the Vadzel crew (Aretha, Asher, and Zeke). Also some scenes with Nicholas Hunter, and Neal Caffrey is briefly mentioned.
> 
> DISCLAIMER : I don't own any of the publicly recognizable characters. They belong to Jeff Eastin, White Collar writers and USA Network.
> 
> WARNING : Contains some violence (some includes terrorizing a child) and suggestive language. As per usual, suspension of disbelief is required. Also contains a copious amount of Alex Hunter, so if you're allergic, I highly suggest you stop reading now. If not, then keep reading and I hope you enjoy.

 

 

* * *

Alex Hunter slowly regained consciousness, her head pounding. She sensed danger. Slowly opening her eyes, she took a moment to clear the cob webs and gather her thoughts. It was then that she realized that she was upside down, hanging from the ceiling like a pi _ñata. She looked up and saw that her feet were bound together and chained to a rope attached to a pulley that hoisted her body about 15 ft from the floor. Her wrists were tied behind her back with plastic cable tie straps._

_"_ _Come on, Hunter! Think!" she said to herself as she struggled from her bindings._

_She looked down and saw a little Korean boy, not much older than her son, Nicholas. His mouth was duct taped and he was tied up to a chair._ _The boy had tears streaming down his face, with a look of terror in his eyes. Alex struggled to focus and finally understood why the boy was scared to death. He had a bomb strapped to his body._

_"How the hell did it get to this?" Alex asked as she tried to remember the events leading up to her current situation._

* * *

**VADZEL CASTLE, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, a few days earlier...**

Alex and her little son, Nicholas, laughed as they played in the water. It was Saturday and the two decided to have an early morning swim in one of the pools of Vadzel's grotto. It had been a while since they've had a some quality time together like this, and even longer since Alex had seen her son have this much fun.

"I remember when I first taught you how to swim, Moon Beam. You were so scared." Alex told her little boy. "I promised you I wouldn't let you go until you were ready." she added. "Now, look at you! Swimming all on your own, diving and doing cannonballs without a care in the world." she said.  _A little too fearless for your own good, just like your father._  Alex thought.

"I had a pretty good teacher!" Nicholas replied, giving his mother his cutest smile.

"It's like you don't need me anymore." Alex told him, almost in a whisper.

"I'll always need you! You're my Mama!"Nicholas answered. "And even if I don't, I'll pretend that I do." he smiled playfully. "You and I, Mama...we're forever." he promised his mother.

"Yeah, right! I'd be surprised if you'd still remember saying that after a few years!" she teased him.

"Well, if I forget, you be sure to remind me." her son said, chuckling, as he splashed some water on her face.

"Oh, you'll pay for that!" she warned him playfully before swimming closer to tickle him.

They continued to play in the water for a few more minutes when Alex suddenly felt that they were being watched. She looked around them, and sure enough, there he was, not too far from them. Jack Hartnell, with a huge smile on his face that revealed his gorgeous dimples, leaning in one of the pillars as he watched Alex and Nicholas having fun.

"Hello there, sweetie. Not polite to stare." Alex said with a laugh.

"My apologies to the two of you. Just taking in the beautiful scenery. I didn't mean to intrude." the Scottish agent replied, as he walked towards them.

"Jack! I missed you!" Nicholas said. "Did you just come back from another adventure? Just like Mama! I've missed you both!" the little boy told them.

"Oh, I've missed you too, kiddo!" Jack said.

"Hey! What about me?" Alex asked Jack, feigning her irritation.

"My heart longed for you while we were apart, my love!" Jack teased dramatically, as he knelt closer to edge of the pool, leaning in for a kiss.

Alex took this opportunity to grab him and pull him into the water. In mere seconds, Jack joined them in the pool, with all his clothes on, soon thoroughly drenched. He was shocked for a bit but didn't appear to be mad.

"The water feels nice, I thought you wouldn't mind to go for a little dip." Alex said, chuckling. Nicholas soon joined in the laughter.

"Oh, you think that was funny, did you?"Jack asked the little boy."Come here, ye tim'rous beastie! I'll teach you not to laugh at your elders!" he joked, as he lifted Nicholas from the water and twirled him in the air, making the boy squeal and laugh louder.

Alex watched them as the two continued to play around in the water. A big part of her felt guilty that Nicholas never got to do this with his own father. She thought of Neal and all the things he missed out on Nicholas' life. How she wished that the two would've been closer.

Then, she looked at Jack. The amazing man she met at the time when she needed a savior. The man who showed her nothing but love, kindness and understanding. That same man who was spending time with her son at the moment, treating Nicholas as if he was his own flesh and blood.

Alex then realized that it came as a welcomed sigh of relief when her heart finally told her to stop wasting her time on Neal Caffrey. Part of her will always keep Neal close to her heart. He was forever a part of her life because of the son they shared, but her life is with Jack now. For the first time in a long time, she was in love again...only this time, it didn't hurt.

Nicholas' voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Mama, Jack said that he's going to take us out today!" he said excitedly. "This'll be fun!"he added.

"Of course, it will." Jack replied. "Where would you like to go...the Budapest Zoo, the Oceanarium, the Museum of Fine Arts, or the Palace of Wonders Science Museum?" he asked the child.

"Can't we go to all of them?" Nicholas suggested with a childish pout.

"I see no reason why we can't." Jack replied, as he looked to Alex for confirmation.

"Absolutely." Alex answered. "But if we're going to all those places, then you should get a move on. Better get ready now, or we won't have enough time." she told her son.

Nicholas squealed with delight upon hearing this. He practically leaped out of the pool and ran inside to get ready.

"Careful!" Jack called out to the boy, as he and Alex climbed out of the pool as well. He turned around to find Alex smiling at him. "What is it?" he asked her.

Alex wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you." she said.

"For what?" Jack asked again.

"For being so good to him." Alex replied.

"I can't help it. He's every bit as amazing as you are...only in a totally different way." Jack said with a smile.

Alex pulled him closer and gave him a soft, lingering kiss on the lips. When they parted, she noticed that Jack looked at her with an unreadable expression on his eyes. His expressive, deep blue eyes made it seem as if he wanted to tell her something very important.

"Something on your mind, Jack?"she asked.

Jack stared into her eyes. "I love you, Alexandra Hunter." he whispered to her.

"I know." she whispered back, as she kissed him again. Hand in hand, they made their way inside the castle.

* * *

Just as planned, Jack and Alex spent some quality time with Nicholas. They went to all the places that the little boy wanted to go to. They visited the pandas in the Budapest Zoo, looked at the different kinds of marine life in the Oceanarium, admired the collection of the Old Masters in the Museum of Fine Arts, and marveled at the exhibits inside the Palace of Wonders Science Museum. Their entire day belonged to young Nicholas.

That was during the day. The night belonged to Jack and Alex. That night, Jack made love to her with such hunger, such passion, such longing. Alex was in a state of complete bliss. It was pure ecstasy, whenever Jack handled her body with that much desire. He loved her like there was no tomorrow...as if it was the last night of the world...as if they could lose each other at any time. They made love until they were both spent. She fell asleep right there in his arms, her head resting on his chest. His powerful heartbeat lulling her to sleep. She never felt safer in any other place in the world, than when she was in Jack's arms. He was her champion, her protector, her lover.

*The next day, Alex woke up alone in bed, left to wonder where Jack was. She quickly showered, got dressed and went in search for him. She found him in the training room inside Zeke's gym back in the East Wing. She lovingly looked at him from a distance, admiring his lithe, athletic, shirtless body as he continued his work out.

Jack was panting, his half-naked body glistened with sweat that trailed from his toned upper torso, down to his tight abs. He had been working the heavy bag steadily for almost an hour, landing combinations of punches and kicks. He was starting to get tired, his arms and legs beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Then, he heard Alex's voice behind him.

"You know, if you wanted a workout, you could've just told me. You didn't even need to leave the bed."she said cheekily.

Jack turned around to look at her. He remained silent for a while, just staring at her. Alex recognized that look from before. That same look he had back at the grotto, when he seemed to want to tell her something important. It was really beginning to worry her.

"Jack?" she gave him a questioning look.

Just then, Aretha appeared out of nowhere. "Oi, Scotsman! You might want to go and tidy yourself up. We'll be having that meeting that you asked for, in my office after breakfast." she told him. "Not that I mind the nakedness." she whispered to Alex and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Aretha!" Alex scolded her.

"What? I'm your best friend...I'm not dead!" Aretha replied with a wink, before leaving the room.

Alex turned to face Jack again. "What meeting?" she asked. "Is this about a job?"she pressed.

Jack gave her a weak smile. "I'll tell you and the others later." he replied. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before proceeding to their room to get cleaned up, leaving Alex to worry as to why Jack was acting oddly.

* * *

Alex went to Nicholas' room to wake him up and get him ready. They were all present in the dining are for breakfast. Everything appeared to be normal. Nicholas and Asher were chatting about video games and comic books; Aretha and Jack quietly having a conversation; Zeke reading the morning paper. Alex merely sat there and drank her cup of coffee, her mind still on Jack. He was troubled about something, Alex didn't know what it was. And that worried her.

"Something wrong, Hunter?" Zeke asked her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Not sure, Zeke. Maybe..." Alex replied. "I guess we'll find out in the meeting." she added, before finishing her coffee.

* * *

When Alex arrived at Aretha's office, Jack was already there waiting for them. She approached him, wanting to ask him what was up with all the secrecy, before the others arrive. Jack stared at her, his hand gently took hold of her waist, and pulled her closer. His other hand softly caressed her cheek.

"Alex, I don't want you to-" he began to say, before he was interrupted by the arrival of the Vadzel crew.

"Alright, enough of the lovey-dovey bit! This, here, is a working area. We can all have a flirt later." Aretha told them.

"Yes, please. Also remember that there are single people here. Leave all the cutesy couple stuff for when nobody's watching." Asher said in envy.

"Just take a seat, kid, will you?" Zeke told their young tech specialist.

Everyone went to their usual chairs. Aretha sat at the head of the table, with Alex to her right, while Zeke sat to her left. Jack sat beside Alex, his usual place when he was there, while Asher sat next to Zeke. Once they were all seated, Jack began to talk.

"Here's the gist. Two days ago, a suspected terrorist seized control of one of the British military cargo truck. They were en route to Clyde Naval Base in the West Coast of Scotland. The transport was supposed to deliver cargo to one of the Vanguard class submarines in the Royal Navy base. The 'cargo' were four Trident D5 ballistic missiles. The terrorist managed to steal one of them, and is now headed for North Korea." he informed Aretha and her crew, who all regarded him with surprised looks. "That's it. That is all that I'm allowed to say. Any others details can't be revealed until you have agreed to help me retrieve the stolen weapon." he added, as he looked at every person in the room with him.

Asher let out a low whistle. "So, basically, our job...should we choose to accept it...is to go to North Korea...a nation that doesn't take too kindly to strangers let alone Westerners, and help you STEAL back a nuclear weapon without raising any suspicions. Right? That's a little out of our comfort zone, isn't it?" he said. He looked at the faces of his crew members to seek confirmation, but found none. "Well, it's a bit out of MY comfort zone!" the hacker scoffed.

Alex's mind was racing. This was what Jack was trying to tell her earlier. He doesn't want her to go. Asher was right, stolen nuclear weapons was WAY out of their comfort zone. Alex wasn't sure about Aretha and Zeke, but she has never done a job that concerned anything even close to involving nuclear weapons, not even when she worked with Valerie Vega. She tried to catch Jack's attention, but he was doing his best to avoid her eyes.

There was silence in the room for a while. It was Aretha who spoke first. "Well...the motherland may not welcome me back with open arms anytime soon, but if the Queen calls for my services, you can count on me to answer. Besides, I actually do have experience with these things. I'm in." she replied.

It was Zeke's Turn to answer next. He turned to face Aretha. "I've been watching your back for years. Not planning to stop now." he told her. "And as a former military and a retrieval specialist, this is right up in my alley. Count me in." he said.

Asher stared at them as if they were both crazy. Finally, their youngest member sighed and spoke. "Well, you certainly can't leave ME here, can you? I mean, without me, you'd all get lost and end up buying a house there in North Korea. You guys need me...so yeah, I'm going with you." the hacker replied.

All of them looked at Alex...all except for Jack, who was still avoiding her eyes. The crew was waiting for her answer. "Seeing as I have no experience in this kind of stuff whatsoever, and have no skills to offer that could be helpful to this job, I elect to stay behind. I'll just guard the castle and take care of my son. Bring me back a snow globe or something."Alex replied. With that, she stood up and walked towards the door.

"Wait, H! You're not going with us?" Asher called after her, as she stormed out of the Aretha's office. The tech specialist raised his hand. "Is it too late to change my answer now?" the young man asked Jack, who then stood up and went after Alex.

* * *

Outside the office, Jack ran after Alex. He tried to stop her by lightly grabbing her arm, which she swatted away. "Alex, please listen to me-" he tried to explain.

"Oh, so now you want to talk?" Alex hissed at him. She looked at him square in the eye, her expression a mixture of anger and pain."I don't understand, Jack. Help me understand. You knew how dangerous this is. You also knew that if YOU asked, my friends wouldn't say no. And yet you don't want me to go! Those people in that room, their more than just my crew, their my family! You expect me to step back when there's a chance that they might die? You think that it's alright for them to make that sacrifice more than me? Why? Because I have a son? They're Nicholas' family too! My life is not worth MORE than theirs." she told him.

"It is to ME!" Jack snapped back. "I love you, Alex." he said in a gentler tone.

"Jack, the moment you decided for yourself that it was okay for them to die and me to live, it became unfair of you to love me." Alex replied.

"Oi, you two! All these talk of dying. Who said that anyone's going to die?" Aretha interrupted them. The couple were too caught up in their argument, they didn't even notice her presence. "We work fantastic together as a team. We've surpassed worse odds before." she continued. She turned to face the Scottish agent. "Jack, if she wants to come with us, then let her." she said, before turning to face her friend. "Alex, if you want to stay behind, then stay. Make a decision now! We're wasting time here arguing. Now, let's all go back to the office, shall we?" she told them. She turned around and went back inside the office.

Jack looked at Alex once they were alone. "I will not apologize for wanting to keep you safe." he whispered to her.

"I know. And I won't apologize needing to be there for my friends." Alex said, as she gently caressed his cheek. Together, they went back inside Aretha's office.

"Everything's good then?" Asher asked once they were inside. The two nodded. "Now that the gang is back together, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd appreciate more details regarding the job. Like, sometime soon would be awesome."he pressed.

"Any of you have heard of the name Graham Donoghue?"Jack asked the Vadzel crew.

After a brief pause, it was Zeke who answered. " He's fomer British military, before he turned rogue. They call him 'The Death Monger'...The Merciless Merchant, whose expertise include assassination, espionage, torture, sabotage, drug trade, human trafficking, arms dealing. Hell, he'd kill his own grandmother for the right price! Wanted in 42 different countries for a laundry list of crimes and is in the watch list of every alphabet organization in the world. Filthy rich and has the right connections, so he has never been arrested." he elaborated.

"Have you met him?" Aretha asked.

Zeke shook his head. "No, but he's had dealings with some people I used to know." he answered. He turned to Jack. "I assume that Donoghue is the man involved in stealing the nuke?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes, it was him." he confirmed.

"How the hell did one man manage to steal a nuclear weapon that was heavily guarded by armed soldiers?" Aretha pressed.

"A couple days ago, an unidentified man in a motorbike came up along side of the transport, put a magnetic charge on the side and detonated it. The lorry flipped over, the man came closer and shot all the military personnel guarding the warheads." Jack informed them.

"Again...ONE man stealing a ballistic missile?" Asher let out a low whistle.

"He didn't steal the whole missile, Asher." Jack told him. "He only removed primary from the missile. The primary is with uranium. If detonated, it could still take out an entire 15 city block, and kill at least 500,000 people in a densely populated area." he explained.

"And you're sure that this was Donoghue's work?" Alex asked.

"Yes...fortunately, one of the CCTV monitors places him in the area around the same time of the incident." Jack answered. "We also have reports of him leaving the country incognito, right after the theft." he added.

"And you have reason to believe that he's in North Korea...why?" Aretha asked him.

"A sleeper agent from MI-6 based in Pyongyang confirmed that Donoghue sneaked into North Korean territory yesterday morning." Jack replied.

"I don't get it. You have a sleeper agent there already, why can't you just send more? Hell, this is more like a job for 007!" Asher interjected.

"You DO know that James Bond isn't real, right, kid?" Zeke told the hacker.

"I'm just saying...why can't MI-6 just send more agents there, catch Donoghue, and drag his ass back to England?" Asher pressed.

"It's not as simple as that, Asher." Jack replied. "This CAN'T come back to us. That means no intel ops unit or military presence. We need absolute deniability in this case. I can't even take my own partner with me." he said.

"And yet YOU yourself are headed over there to catch this terrorist." Alex pointed out.

"And the Trident D5 has a distinctive signature. It can easily be traced back to the Royal Navy submarines." Aretha reminded him.

"Which is why we need to get it back." Jack told her.

"Again...why all the secrecy?" Alex pressed.

Jack looked at her and sighed. "As we speak, there are talks 'behind closed doors' between the UK Prime Minister and the Supreme Leader of North Korea regarding nuclear disarmament. Any mention of UK nuclear weapons' presence in North Korean soil would jeopardize the crucial ongoing negotiations with the country." he explained.

"And that's what Donoghue must be counting on." Zeke assumed.

"What do you mean?" Asher asked.

"Detonate the nuclear device in Pyongyang will definitely end any nuclear disarmament talks. You need to understand, there are plenty of people who, for business purposes, would not want these negotiations to happen and these people are willing to spend an obscene amount of money to make sure it fails." Zeke explained.

"For every peacemaker in the planet, there are 10 warmongers to stop him. It's a dirty industry." Aretha added.

"So, Donoghue was paid to plant a nuclear device with a UK signature in North Korea with a to halt the negotiations and pit the two nations against each other? This could start a war." Alex said.

"That's his plan...and we need to stop him." Jack replied.

There was a long pause, until Aretha broke the silence. "Alright everyone, you know the drill." she said to her crew. "Pack a bag, feed your pets, kiss your loved-ones. Looks like we're going to North Korea." she told them.

* * *

**~END OF CHAPTER ONE~**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOOTNOTES:
> 
> *All the character in this chapter (other than the villain) have been in some of my previous THC stories.
> 
> *Yes, they do live in a castle. [FIC : Budapest]
> 
> *Again, this is a work of fiction...I don't really know anything about nuclear warheads, so don't fault me for inaccuracies.
> 
> *Many thanks for reading this chapter. If you liked it, please feel free to leave comments and kudos.


	2. Chapter 2

 

* * *

The rest of the day went by, and everyone noticed that Alex had been avoiding Jack. Jack attempted numerous times to talk to her, but she kept ignoring him. Later that night, Jack was in Nicholas' room while they finished reading 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'.

"We'll read 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' when I get back." he promised the little boy. He kissed him on he forehead and was about to leave.

"Is Mama mad at you?" Nicholas asked him.

"Cows get mad, Nicholas...people get angry." Jack reminded him.

"Why is Mama angry at you?" the little boy pressed.

"She's not angry...just disappointed. I kept a secret from her." Jack answered.

"You wanna make her laugh? Do what I do and tell her a panda bear joke. She loves those!" Nicholas suggested.

"I'm afraid that only works for you, my dear boy." Jack told him. "But I will try." he added.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door, and Alex came into her son's room. "Are you ready for bed?" she asked Nicholas.

"Yes, Mama." the little boy replied.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Alex asked. Nicholas nodded. "Alright. Where's my goodnight kiss?" she asked again. Her son reached up to her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Good night, Mama. I love you." Nicholas told her.

"Good night, Moonbeam. I love you more." Alex replied.

"Good night, Jack. Remember what I told you." Nicholas reminded him.

"Good night, kiddo." Jack answered.

Alex and Jack watch Nicholas as he snuggled in bed with the stuffed panda bear that Neal gave him. Moments later, the boy was sound asleep. Together, they quietly slipped out of the room. Jack was about to say something, when Alex turned away and headed back to her room.

Jack followed her inside, and saw that Alex was packing a small backpack. Things that she will need for their trip. She kept avoiding his eyes, and just remained silent. After a few minutes of watching her, Jack cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"A panda walked into a bar. and went up to the bartender and said:  _'I want_ _a sandwich and a Coke please.'_  The bartender took his order and the Panda went to sit down at a table. Soon, a waiter took over the meal, the Panda gobbled it up, tipped the waiter and paid his bill." Jack began.

Alex looked at him as if he had lost his mind, but at least, she was now looking at him.

Jack smiled. "All seemed normal until the Panda pulled out a gun from the depths of his fur, pulled the trigger and BANG! shot the waiter dead. The barman rushed over and said: _'Argh!You just shot my friend!'_  The Panda calmly replied:  _'Do you know what I am?'_  he asked.  _'Of course, I do. You're a Panda'_  the barman answered.  _'Good,'_ the Panda replied,  _'now go home and look me up in the dictionary.'_ And with that, the Panda walked out of the bar." he continued.

Jack looked at Alex and saw that he now has her full attention. She stared at him, raised an eyebrow, and was trying very hard not to smile.

"The barman was a little unsure, but he was very eager to be enlightened on the subject of his friend's murder, so he went home to find his dictionary and looked up 'panda' and quickly read the definition... **PANDA** **:** 1\. Ailuropoda melanoleuca, A black and white bear native to China.  _Eats shoots and leaves._ " Jack finished the story.

Alex lowered her head, but Jack noticed the change in her facial expression. "Is that a smile?" he asked. "Yes, I believe that is a smile!" he said triumphantly.

"Nicholas told you about the panda joke strategy?" Alex asked him.

"Yes, and it worked like a charm." Jack answered.

Silence filled the room yet again. Jack moved closer to Alex, and gently lifted up her face towards him. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to keep any secrets from you." he apologized, his thumb caressed her cheek.

"Then don't." Alex replied.

Jack sighed, and sat on the bed. Alex soon followed suit. "It's not THAT simple, given what my job is." Jack told her.

"Then tell me what you're allowed to say. Just please, don't keep me in the dark." Alex implored him.

Jack stared deeply into her eyes. He didn't want to lose her. That was never an option. After a brief moment, he spoke again. "Ask me what you want to know, I'll do my best to answer." he said.

"Why you?" Alex asked. "Out of all the operatives from Section 10, they chose you. What? They couldn't find another agent in Cheltenham who can get the job done?" she pressed.

Jack took a brief moment before he spoke. "I have a history with Donoghue." he answered.

"Which means what, exactly?" she asked.

"I was part of a Royal Marines recon team in Kosovo back in late 1998. He was the leader of our unit. Major Graham Donoghue back then." Jack revealed.

"You were in Kosovo?" Alex asked, her voice full of concern. Jack rarely talked about his life in the British military.

"Yes." Jack replied. "My recon team was like my family. I trusted them with my life and they trusted me with theirs in return." he continued.

"And Donoghue was part of that." Alex said.

Jack nodded. "Right up until he betrayed us. He betrayed his team and his country." he replied.

"What happened?" Alex asked again.

"My team and I, we were the best at what we did. Highly decorated. Did everything by the book. Followed orders to the letter." Jack began. "We had no idea we had a traitor amongst us." he added. He took a deep breath before he continued. "One time during a mission, I got shot in the thigh...a flesh wound. Spent a week in a military hospital till they sent me back to my unit. When I got back, they we're all dead. All except for Donoghue. Donoghue had executed our entire team...then took every single weapon, and got out of there like a bat out of hell." he told her, almost choking on the words.

"I'm so sorry, Jack." Alex consoled him.

"Next we knew, the weapons he stole were found in the hands of the Kosovo Liberation Army. That's how he made his start as an arms dealer." Jack said. "Anyway, there was an inquiry, since I was the only one that survived. They wanted to sack me but they couldn't find anything to charge me with, or anything that would link me to Donoghue. But the damage was done. So I resigned my commission and left the Marines. Months later, Piers Bishop sought me out and offered me a job at Section 10." he concluded.

Alex held him closer. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this." she said.

"I should have died that time. With my team." Jack whispered.

"Don't say that! I am glad that you lived, Jack." she told him. "Besides, I believe that your life was spared for a reason. Now, you can capture Donoghue, and make sure that he pays for everything he's done." she pointed out.

Jack stare into her eyes once again. "I have lost too many losses in this lifetime. I can't lose you too." he told her.

"You won't." she replied. "No matter what happens, I'll be right beside you." she promised. She kissed him softly on the lips. "Now, let's get ready for bed. We have a long day tomorrow." she reminded him.

* * *

The next day, the Vadzel crew, along with Jack, were all gathered and ready to leave.

"Oi, Scottish! You and your girl have kissed and made up, I assume?" Aretha asked Jack.

"Yes, English!" Jack answered. "No worries." he assured her.

Zeke looked at the amount of bags that Asher had with him. "Geez, are you moving to North Korea, kid? You do know we're coming back, right?" he joked.

"Ha ha...very funny." he retorted. "We'd be needing all these equipment for the job." he reminded his friend.

Alex smiled at them and shook her head, before turning her attention to Nicholas. "You be good while I'm away, okay." she told her little boy.

"Yes, Mama." Nicholas replied.

"You want me to bring you back something?"she asked.

"Just come back to me." he replied.

"I will." she reassured her son.

"Promise?" Nicholas insisted.

"Promise. Cross my heart and kiss my elbow." she answered.

Nicholas chuckled, as he leaped into her arms and wrapped her in a very tight hug. "I love you, Mama." he said.

"I love you more, Moonbeam." she replied.

"What, I don't get a hug?" Jack asked.

Nicholas turned to him and gave him a big hug as well. "Keep my Mama safe, okay?" he whispered into Jack's ear, before letting go.

Jack put his right hand to his heart. "I promise." he whispered in return.

"Alright, time to go." Aretha announced. She left specific instructions to Jakob and Edina, before heading out the door.

Alex took one last last look to Nicholas and gave him a reassuring smile. Nicholas nodded and blew her a kiss. With a worried feeling in her gut, she left Vadzel with Jack and her crew.

* * *

**PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA, ABOUT 12 HOURS LATER...**

Jack and the Vadzel crew arrived in North Korea without stirring up any noise. A small Section 10 team, headed by Jack's partner Callum MacTaggert, was left behind in Busan, South Korea, awaiting his call in the event that they needed to be extracted. Upon their arrival, the team met discreetly with their contact in Pyongyang, the MI-6 agent that Jack spoke of.

"Park Sang-Yoo." the agent introduced himself.

"Jack Hartnell." Jack showed him his credentials, and proceeded to introduce the rest of the team. He then excused himself and Sang-Yoo as he briefed him about the mission.

From afar, Asher looked at the two while they discussed matters in private. He turned his attention to his crew. "This is NOT good. But I'm alright. I can deal with this." he told them. "You know what? I lied! I hate this place! I'm in a hostile environment. I am completely unprepared. I'm surrounded by people who probably would like to kick my ass! This is like high school all over again!" he panicked.

"Hakuna matata, my friend." Alex told the young hacker. "I got your back, Ash." she assured him.

"And I've got your front." Aretha added. "I guess that makes you the little sausage in our sandwich." she chuckled.

"Little sausage? LITTLE? I resent that!" Asher replied. He turned to seek reassurance from Zeke.

"Oh, don't drag me into this, kid. I'm not into kinky stuff." Zeke joked. His face turned serious when he faced Aretha. "What's the plan?" he asked.

"We go in, we kick ass, we get out." Aretha answered.

"You make it sound so easy, Boss Lady." Asher told her.

"We do what Jack says." Alex chimed in. "For now." she added.

"Alex is right. As much as I hate to admit it, Jack is running this show. We're just his dancing monkeys. What he says, goes...at least for the time being." Aretha told her team. The rest of the crew nodded in agreement.

There was silence among them for a brief moment, until they were rejoined by Jack and Sang-Yoo. "Agent Park will be taking us to the safe house now." Jack announced.

"Please, call me Sang-Yoo. No need for formalities." the sleeper agent told them. He lead the team towards the van. "Let's go, shall we?" he said.

* * *

Once they were at the safe house, the Vadzel crew, along with Jack and Sang-Yoo ate dinner together in silence. It was Asher who spoke first.

"So, Sang-Yoo...MI-6 eh? You get full benefits with that?" the young man asked. Zeke smacked him in the back of the head. "Ouch! I was just making conversation!" he told Zeke.

"It's alright, Zeke." Sang-Yoo replied. "I like SIX." he replied, SIX being a short term for MI-6. "Plus, I get to go to interesting places, meet interesting people...kill them if the situation calls for it." he added, an impish grin briefly flashing on his face.

Asher swallowed his food. "They have a good dental plan?" he asked, which earned him another smack in the back of the head from Zeke. "Ow! Alright! That's it! I'm gonna go sit over there!" he said, as he stood up and sat next to Alex.

"So, what's your story?" Aretha asked Sang-Yoo.

"British mother, South Korean father. Grew up in Seoul, till Dad died. After that, I moved to London with my mum. Joined the Royal Navy after graduating college. Got recruited in SIS after I finished three tours." Sang-Yoo summarized.

"Seoul, huh? Gangnam district, by any chance?" Asher asked him.

"Yes. How did you know?" Sang-Yoo wondered.

"Just a wild guess." Asher answered. He looked over at Alex and flashed her a smile.

"Don't do it, Asher." Alex warn the hacker.

But it was too late. "Oppan, Gangnam style!" Asher shouted.

The young man then stood up and began to do his 'invisible horse dance'. He bounced around in a riding movement, flailing his arms, with hand gestures of alternating holding reigns and lassoing. Alex slapped herself in the forehead in frustration, while the rest of the team looked at Asher as if he had gone mad.

"Is he having a seizure?" Sang-Yoo asked.

"Yeah...we'll go with that." Alex answered.

"Enough horsing around!" Jack said. "We need to discuss the mission." he told them.

"Job." Aretha corrected him. "Military and secret agents have missions. We're neither." she added.

"As I was saying...we need to discuss the JOB." Jack said, glaring at Aretha. "Do you have a location on Donoghue?" he asked Sang-Yoo.

"One of my local sources told me that he's staying at the Koryo Hotel." Sang-Yoo replied. "He paid the entire hotel staff to keep their mouths shut. Keeps moving suites, so I couldn't lock on his exact location. Here's where it gets interesting..." he continued, looking at the team before him.

"I had one of my assets follow him, and guess where he was spotted frequently these past few days?" he asked.

"Where?" Asher asked.

"The Pyongyang Train Station in Chung-guyok." Sang-Yoo answered.

"That's the target." Zeke deducted.

"He's casing the layout." Alex agreed.

"He's studying the area...what time is it the busiest. The more casualties in the explosion, the better." Aretha chimed in.

"Yeah, but Jack said it himself...this nuclear device has enough boom to kill half a million people. Donoghue could plant it behind a dumpster and he could still take out the entire district." Asher pointed out.

"But he doesn't want to plant the device behind a dumpster. That's not how he works." Jack told him.

"He would want to plant the bomb in the heart of the city...hit 'em where it hurts. A train station during rush hour would be a perfect target. Remember what the terrorists did in London back in '05?" Zeke reminded them.

"Zeke's right." Jack agreed. "Rest easy tonight, boys and girls. We make a move at first light." he said, with a determined look on his face.

* * *

Early morning the next day, the team was up and ready. They gathered around and awaited for Jack's orders.

"Everybody put on their comm links, make sure it works." Jack told the team, while Asher started handing out earpieces to each team member. "Keep them on at all times. This is how we'll communicate." he instructed. Jack looked at everyone. "I've assigned each of us handles, just in case the comms are being monitored." he added.

"Puh-lease! Like anyone can hack into my system!" Asher scoffed. He saw Jack glaring at him. "I'll shut up now." he told the agent.

"Where was I? Handles, yes." Jack continued. "I will be Alpha; Aretha is Bravo; Asher, you're Charlie; Zeke is Delta; Alex, you're Echo; and Sang-Yoo is Foxtrot." he told them.

"Wait...everyone else got cool code names and I get stuck with 'Charlie'?" Asher complained.

"That's what you get for interrupting." Jack said. He turned his attention back to the team. "Next is team assignments." he told them.

"Team assignments?" Alex asked.

"She interrupted!" Asher pointed out.

"I've divided us up into 3 teams." Jack clarified. "Aretha, you're with Zeke. You guys take the Koryo Hotel. See if you can figure out which room Donoghue is staying. Try to find out if the device is stashed in his room. Be very careful, if you DO find it." Jack warned the two.

"Got it." Aretha replied, while Zeke nodded in understanding.

"Sang-Yoo and I will take the Train station...see if Donoghue makes an appearance today." Jack said. He turned to Asher and Alex. "You two will stay at home base." he told them.

"Home base? You mean we get to guard the van?" Asher asked. "Fine by me." he shrugged.

"Excuse us for a moment." Alex told the rest, while she pulled Jack aside.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Jack we've discussed this-" she said.

"You shouldn't have interrupted me." Jack replied.

"Bullshit!" Alex exclaimed. "I don't need you to protect me." she reiterated. "Not like you CAN protect me...this device can take out a 15-city block!" she reminded him.

Jack gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Just humor me." he said, before returning to the rest of the team. "Alright, you all know your assignments...now, scatter." he ordered.

* * *

Aretha and Zeke headed out first. Alex watched as Jack got into Sang-Yoo's car. He waved her goodbye, before leaving for the train station. After they left, she got inside the van, where Asher was already setting up.

After a brief silence, Alex spoke up. "What exactly do you DO inside the van?" she asked Asher.

"This is the command center." Asher replied. "I don't exactly just stay here and play video games and wait for you guys to call, you know?" he told her. "I have kept all of us alive countless of times from inside the van. So don't you dare act as if you deign to work in here." he said, visibly hurt.

"I'm sorry." Alex apologized. "I'm just frustrated, that's all. Jack's being an ass." she told him.

"Jack's doing what a good man does." Asher replied. "You have to protect the ones that you love." he continued.

"Who's side are you on?" Alex asked him. Then she noticed the sadness in Asher's eyes. She cleared her throat. "You wanna talk about what happened with Claire?" she inquired, referring to Asher's girlfriend from New York.

"I broke up with her...end of story." Asher answered, as he continued to set up his gadgets.

"Why?" Alex pressed.

There was a long pause, before Asher replied. "I can't keep putting her life at risk because of what I do." he answered.

"Shouldn't that be her choice?" Alex asked again.

"No...because I know that she'll choose to be with me. Just like you'll always choose to be with Jack, no matter what." he told his friend.

"So...you were scared of losing her, and yet you lost her anyway." Alex pointed out.

"Yes, but at least I know that she's SAFE." Asher countered. "Claire's not like you, H. She doesn't belong in our world. And I can't always be there to protect her. So, I set her free." he added in a very sad tone.

Alex nodded in understanding. After another uncomfortable silence, she spoke up. "Right...I'll let you set up here. I'm gonna go and get us some coffee." she told her friend.

"Make mine as caffeinated as they'll allow it. I'll take a Settanta, if they have them. I have a feeling we'll be here a while." Asher said.

"Will do." Alex replied before stepping out of the van.

* * *

Alex was about to go inside the coffee shop, when a motorcycle pulled up near her. The rider lifted up his helmet's visor and turned to face her. A evil grin formed in the man's face as he looked at her, as if he was taunting her. Then without warning, the bike revved up and sped away.

Alex mind was in panic. He recognized that face from the photo Jack showed the team. It was Donoghue! Without any regard, she stole one of the motorcycles parked outside the coffee shop and quickly went after Donoghue.

The chase ended in the middle of a commercial district. It was an area Alex was not very familiar with. She reached for her comm link to notify the others, and then realized that she left her ear piece inside the van.

"Stupid!" Alex slapped her forehead.

She got off the motorcycle and proceeded on foot. She had no idea where she was or where Donoghue went. She took a turn in an alley and looked around for any payphones. The next thing she knew, someone came up to her from behind, and restrained her. She struggled and tried to fight back, but her captor put pressure in her carotid artery. A few seconds later, she felt herself fading away, as she slowly lost consciousness.

* * *

**~END OF CHAPTER TWO~**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOOTNOTES :
> 
> *Nicholas' beloved stuffed panda bear was from his dad, Neal. [Fic : Trouble]
> 
> *Piers Bishop and Callum MacTaggert are characters I created. They work with Jack at Section 10. Piers is his boss, Callum is his partner. You may or may not see them in future stories.
> 
> *You recognize Asher's "invisible horse dance", right? Okay, just checking.
> 
> *The character Park Sang-Yoo is inspired by Korean-American actor, Daniel Dae Kim (H50. Lost)
> 
> *You might remember Asher's (now ex) girlfriend, Claire (Gleason) from my previous fics, "New York" and "One Night in Bangkok".
> 
> *Again...not in the intel ops industry, don't fault me for inaccuracies.
> 
> *What happened to Alex? Clue is in the first scene of Chapter 1. How does she get out? Well, you just have to keep on reading.
> 
> *Again, many thanks for reading this chapter. If you liked it, please feel free to leave comments and kudos.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : Warning...contains some violence. Nothing graphic, but it does involve terrorizing a child. Apologies if it offends you.

 

* * *

**PYONGYANG TRAIN STATION...**

Once they were at the train station, Jack and Sang-Yoo decided to split up. Sang-Yoo went to the railways, while Jack looked around inside the building. They kept their eyes peeled for any indication that Donoghue was in the area. After an hour of waiting, Jack started to get impatient.

"Foxtrot, any sign of him?" Jack asked Song-Yoo through the comms.

"Negative, Alpha." Sang-Yoo replied.

"Alright, I'll take another look around, see if I've missed anything. Alpha, out." Jack said.

Jack surveyed the area, his senses on high-alert. He checked out every corner, just in case Donoghue had been in the area earlier to plant the device. He debated inside his head whether or not to alert the authorities about the threat, but decided against it. No need to get people to a panic, in the off-chance that they were wrong. They also needed to keep their covers in tact.

Just then, Jack caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. There was a man dressed in black track pants and a hoodie. He was wearing a backpack and dark glasses. Jack couldn't see his face. His suspicions aroused, he followed the man.

Jack reached for his comms. "Foxtrot, I have suspicious activity in my area." he reported.

"On my way, Alpha." Sang-Yoo replied.

Jack observed, while the man in question took off his backpack,and started to set it down behind one of the benches. Not waiting for Sang-Yoo, he drew his weapon and sprang into action.

"Freeze! Put your hands up, Donoghue!" Jack warned the man.

The man then quickly grabbed the backpack. "Captain Jack Hartnell. You wouldn't shoot a man holding a nuclear weapon, would you, Jack? Especially if it's a fellow soldier." Donoghue asked him.

Jack new the risk. He didn't fire, but kept his gun pointed at Donoghue. "You're not a soldier. You're a terrorist! You profit on spreading fear and selling mass murder. You sick bastard! There are innocent people in this station. Women and children!" he told Donoghue.

"That's the idea!" Donoghue replied. "Take your ethics and shove it up your arse! Don't get all 'holier than thou' on me, Jackie Boy! You've killed people in the past as well. Sure, most of them deserved it...a few of them were innocent...but YOU yourself were responsible for other people's deaths." Donoghue reminded him. "Only you did it to preserve the status quo. You did your duty for Queen and Country. I chose to be loyal to me, myself and I." he said.

"You're not getting away. I won't let you." Jack swore.

"YOU'RE going to stop me? Are you going to protect all these people from me, Jack? You can't be serious!" Donoghue taunted him. "I think it's time to play 'Let's Make a Deal'." he said to the agent. "You let me get to my train, and I'll leave the device in one of the trash bins. Hell, I'll even tell you how to disarm it!" Donoghue tried to set the terms.

"Not interested. I don't negotiate with terrorists." Jack replied.

Sang-Yoo soon joined him. "Freeze! Move and I'll shoot, Donoghue!" he warned the terrorist.

"And risk sending all these people to their deaths?" Donoghue clicked his tongue. "Are you going to let him do that, Jack?" he asked.

Jack looked at Sang-Yoo and shook his head. He turned his attention back to Donoghue. "There's no way we'll allow you to leave. Nowhere else to go, Donoghue. Either give yourself up, or die with us." he said.

Donoghue just laughed and shook his head. "I know about you and you little team, Jack. Do you know where they all are?" he asked. "Do you know where SHE is?" he pressed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jack denied.

"Where's your little girlfriend, Jack?" Donoghue taunted him. "Go ahead and check...I'll wait." he mocked.

Jack pressed his earpiece. "Echo, what's your status?" he asked. "Echo, come in." There was no answer.

"I know something you don't know!" Donoghue said in a singsong voice.

* * *

**BACK AT THE VAN...**

There was a loud knock on the door, before it suddenly opened, catching Asher off-guard. Aretha stepped inside, followed by Zeke.

"Jesus Christ! You guys scared me half to death!" Asher exclaimed.

"Well...we did knock." Zeke told him.

Asher noticed the frustrated looks in their faces. "I take it you didn't find anything?" he asked rhetorically.

Aretha shook her head. "We scoured the entire hotel, up and down. No portable nuclear device and no sign of Donoghue." she said. She looked around and noticed who was missing. "Where's Alex?" she asked.

"She went to get coffee." Asher replied. He looked at his watch. "That was over an hour ago." he added. He saw the angry expressions on Zeke and Aretha's face. "I lost track of time!" he reasoned.

Just then, they heard Jack's voice through the comms.

" _Echo, what's your status? Echo, come in!"_  Jack's voice sounded urgent.

Aretha cursed under her breath when she noticed the earpiece that Alex left behind. "Put us on speaker!" she ordered Asher.

Asher did as he was told and patched them through.

"Jack, it's Aretha..." she said, ignoring the agent's previous orders regarding 'handles'. "Alex isn't here. We have no idea where she is." she told him.

* * *

Jack felt like he was punched in the gut when he heard what Aretha said. He turn his attention back to Donoghue.

"Where is she? What have you done to her?" Jack insisted.

"I'll never tell." Donoghue answered. "Or maybe I will." he said. "Let me get out of here, and I'll call you later with her location." he told Jack.

Jack shook his head. "No, I don't think so! You give yourself up, and you tell me where she is, and maybe, I'll let you live" he threatened Donoghue.

"You think you can scare me, Jackie Boy? I've been killing people since you were an itch in your daddy's trousers." Donoghue laughed maniacally. "Now, back to your girl. Met her earlier...Alex, is it? Lovely woman." he mocked Jack again.

Jack raised his gun and was poised to shoot. "Fuck you!" he cussed.

"Can you really kill me, Jack? I suppose you can. Then you can finally avenge the death of your team." Donoghue taunted him. "But you WON'T shoot me. Seems to me that you have a decision to make. Some of the worst choices in life are done in the name of love. You're about to make one now. You kill me...disarm the bomb...you save all these people. Or you can let me go and save the woman you love in the process. Your choice, Jack. Clock's ticking." he said.

It was then that Sang-Yoo intervened. "What's your plan? Take a train out of here? Meet your transport in a secluded airstrip to fly you out of North Korea before this city blows up? Yeah, we've intercepted your pilot in Kaesong...I'm afraid he wont make it to your date. You see, Donoghue? There really is NO WAY OUT." he bluffed.

"Oh, there's always a way out. You don't think I have any back up plans?" Donoghue then reached inside the backpack and pulled out a gun and made a run for it. He tried to reach one of the attendants to use as a hostage, when Jack and Sang-Yoo opened fire, shooting him down.

Jack ran towards Donoghue, while Sang-Yoo reached for the backpack. Jack quickly disarmed the terrorist once he reached him. Donoghue stared at him, helpless, yet he still had that evil look in his eyes.

"Killer!" Donoghue gasped, as he spat out blood. "I knew it...you're a killer. "You just killed the woman you love." With that he closed his eyes and his body went limp.

Jack reached for his neck to check for a pulse, but found none. He looked over at Sang-Yoo. "He's dead. And only he knows were Alex is!" he told him.

"We have bigger problems than that." Sang-Yoo replied. "This device is a dud. A decoy made to look like a bomb, only without the explosives. We still have an armed nuclear device out there." he informed Jack.

* * *

**Alex Hunter slowly regained consciousness, her head pounding. She sensed danger. Slowly opening her eyes, she took a moment to clear the cob webs and gather her thoughts. It was then that she realized that she was upside down, hanging from the ceiling like a pi _ñata. She looked up and saw that her feet were bound together and chained to a rope attached to a pulley that hoisted her body about 15 ft from the floor. Her wrists_ _were tied behind her back with plastic cable tie straps._

_"_ _Come on, Hunter! Think!" she said to herself as she struggled from her bindings._

_She looked down and saw a little Korean boy, not much older than her son, Nicholas. His mouth was duct taped and he was tied up to a chair. The boy had tears streaming down his face, with a look of terror in his eyes. Alex struggled to focus and finally understood why the boy was scared to death. He had a bomb strapped to his body.**_

Alex then recalled what her son said to her recently.  _"I'll always need you...You're my Mama...Just come back to me."_  the sound of Nicholas' voice echoed inside her head. Then, she heard Jack's voice.  _"I love you, Alexandra Hunter!"_  she remembered Jack said.

" _I am NOT going to die here today!"_  Alex told herself with great determination. She needed to do something. She has a son to come home to. She had loved-ones waiting for her.

Alex gathered up all the strength she could muster and began to rock her body till she swayed. Soon enough, her body was swinging freely back and forth like a pendulum. It was a good thing that she remembered some of the lessons when she learned in gymnastics back in high school.

Gathering enough momentum, she bent forward and tucked her head in front of her, at the same time sliding her arms behind her legs, unlooping them from behind her back. Once her arms were unlooped and were now in front of her, she grabbed the rope that hoisted her body and began to pull herself in the upright position.

Now that she was the right side up, she was able to see her feet. They were still bound together by the rope. She struggled to take her boots off and let them fall to the floor. This caused the rope that tied her feet to loosen up. With a few more kicking and struggling, she managed to free her feet from the bindings. Once her feet were free, she slowly let go of the rope that was holding her, letting her body slide down and feeling the rope burn her hands. She hit the floor with a soft thud.

Slowly, she stood up, and tried to get some feeling back on her legs. She headed towards the nearest window and smashed it with her elbow. She used one of the shards of glass to cut her wrists loose. Once her hands were free, she repeatedly squeezed them close and then open to have some blood pump back to her palms.

Feeling a bit better, she went over to where the little kid was. She put her index finger to her lips, telling him to keep quiet. Slowly, she took the tape off the boy's mouth.

" _Chonun Alex imnida. Irŭmi muŏsshimnikka? [My name is Alex. What's your name?]"_  she asked after she introduced herself.

" _Han."_  the scared little boy answered in a whisper.

" _Han...Mannasŏ pan-gapssŭmnida. [Han...Pleased to meet you.]"_ she said. She looked at the boy, who seemed calm under the circumstances.  _"Umjigiji ma! [Don't make a move!]"_  she ordered him as soothingly as she possibly could, as she slowly untied the little boy from the chair.

Han breathed a little sigh of relief once he felt that he was free. He began to squirm from the seat and tried to stand up.

" _Kamanhi issŏ ! [Keep still!]"_ Alex warned him softly, as there was still the matter of the bomb being strapped to his chest.

She searched for anything that might suggest that there was a tripwire and was glad to have found none. She then began to carefully unstrap the vest off of Han, taking the bomb away from his body, and setting it down on the floor. She looked at the little boy once again and motioned that it was alright to move. The boy slowly stood up.

" _Kwaench'anŭseyo? [Are you okay?]"_  she asked Han.

The boy nodded.  _"Ne. Kamsahamnida. [ Yes. Thank you.]_ Han answered as he politely bowed to her.

" _Ch'ŏnmaneyo. [You're welcome.]"_  Alex replied. She tilted her head towrds the dor.  _"Nagaseyo! [Get out of here!]_  she told the kid.

Then she remembered something.  _"Han!"_  she called the boy back. The kid turned around to look at her.  _"Haendŭp'on issŭmnikka? [Do you have a cellphone?]_  she asked him.

Han nodded and bent down to lift up the right leg of his trousers. He took out the cellphone hidden inside his socks and tossed it to Alex. Alex caught it with ease.

" _Komapssŭmnida! [Thanks!]"_  she said.  _"Nagayo...sŏdorŭseyo! [Now get out...hurry up!]_  she told him, as she watched the boy run out of the dojang.

"Not that running's gonna help...this thing can blow this entire city to kingdom come!" Alex muttered. She took a deep breathe, and started dialing the number she knew by heart.

* * *

Jack and Sang-Yoo let the local authorities handle the situation at the train station. They still have a nuclear device to find. He got inside Sang-Yoo's car to scour the city in search of the device. Jack was just about to say something to Asher, when his cellphone rang. He looked to see who it was. The caller ID said 'Unknown Number'. Curious as to who it was, he took the call.

"Hello? Who is is this?" Jack asked.

"Jack! It's me, Alex!" she answered.

"Alex! Thank God you're alright! Where are you?" he inquired, relieved to hear her voice.

"I don't know." she replied. "Somewhere in the middle of the city, I think." she said.

"I specifically ordered to have your comms on you at ALL times!" he chastised her.

"We can have this discussion later. Right now, we have bigger problems." she told him. "I found the nuke." she announced. There was silence at the other end of the line. "Jack?" she called his name.

"I'm here." Jack assured her. "I'm gonna talk to Asher now, okay? DON'T hang up!" he told her.

"Okay." Alex replied.

Jack pressed the button on his earpiece. "Asher, you there?" he asked.

"Yes." Asher replied. "Heard the whole thing. Tapping your cellphone so I patch her call through the comms. Hold on." the young hacker told them.

Jack heard the sound of fingers clicking through a keyboard. "Tap away." he said.

"Done!" Asher exclaimed. "We should all be able to hear her now." he added.

"Alex, can you hear me?" It was Aretha.

"Yeah, I can hear you." Alex answered.

"Are you alright?" asked Zeke.

Alex laughed softly. "A little banged up, but I'll live." she replied. She heard Jack gasp. "I'm alright, Jack." she assured him. "Now what about this device?" she asked.

"I'm trying to lock on your current location via the cellphone's signal." Asher answered.

"Alex, this is Sang-Yoo." the Korean agent said. "Do you have the device?" he asked.

"Yes, it's in front of me right now." Alex answered.

"What does it look like?" Sang-Yoo pressed, trying his best not to sound frantic.

"It's attached to a vest...inside a metal casing." Alex answered. There was a long pause. "I don't know...I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to explosives." she said frustratedly.

"Is it on a timer?" Jack asked as calmly as he could.

"Yes...7:42, and counting." Alex replied.

"I got it!" Asher yelled. "I know where she is!" he announced. Everyone, Alex most especially, breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, aren't you glad I brought all these stuff with me?" he boasted.

"Yeah, yeah...what's her location?" Zeke asked, as he was driving the van.

"She's in the middle of the city...in a dojang, somewhere in between the Taedong Gate and the Ryongwang Pavillion, near the Pyongyang bell." Asher told him.

"Yes! I saw a bell house outside earlier!" Alex confirmed.

Jack let out a breath he's been holding for quite sometime. "We'll be right there, Alex. Don't worry." he reassured her. Then he saw the grim expression on Sang-Yoo's face. "What is it?" he asked.

Sang-Yoo kept his eyes on the road, but sped the car faster. "Good news is, she's still in Chung-guyok." he answered.

"And the bad news?" Jack pressed.

"It would take us at least 7 minutes to get there." Sang-Yoo replied without looking at Jack.

"He's right." Asher confirmed through the comms.

"That's not enough time." Alex realized. "That's not enough goddamn time!" she repeated.

* * *

**~END OF CHAPTER THREE~**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOOTNOTES :
> 
> *Yeah...Graham Donoghue. Not my favourite character to write.
> 
> *That scene with the kid who had a bomb strapped to his chest...not my favourite scene, but I loved writing it.
> 
> *Alex Hunter...action hero! If you don't like it...well I can't really do anything about that.
> 
> *Many thanks for reading this chapter. If you liked it, please feel free to leave comments and kudos.


	4. Chapter 4

 

* * *

_This was bad...very bad._  Alex thought.  _Like three buses and a cab ride away from good...that kind of bad._ "Jack?" Alex called his name out loud.

"I'm still here, sweetie." Jack answered, trying his best not to panic. "Drive faster!" he ordered Sang-Yoo.

"Stay calm, okay, Alex." Aretha told her.

"We'll get there as soon as possible." Zeke assured her, as he broke every speed limit, practically flying the van.

Alex stared at the timer that kept ticking. She took a deep breath and let her brain think. "I can do it." she said.

"What did you say?" Asher asked.

"I can do it!" Alex repeated.

"Alex, sweetie-" Jack said before he got interrupted.

"Look, Jack...I can do this, but I'll need you help." Alex told him.

"You mean disarm the device?" Jack asked her.

"Yes!" Alex answered. "I just need you to talk me through it. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it." she added.

Sang-Yoo looked at Jack. "It's our only chance." he pointed out.

Jack took a deep breath. "From what I can remember, the Trident D5 has a UGM-133 primary with a uranium core. It's a bomb inside a bomb. It has a capacitor relay detonator, double pull trigger, double throw switch." he thought out loud. "You need to open it up. I'll guide you through the rest." he told Alex.

"Open it up. Right." Alex muttered. She removed her belt and used the metal part as a screwdriver. Soon enough, the metal casing was removed from the device. "Done!" she announced.

"Good." Jack said. "Take a look at it and tell me what you see." he told her.

There was a brief pause. "It looks like a baseball wrapped in metal, surrounded by wires, attached to some clay, which I'm assuming, is more explosives." Alex informed him. "The wires are all yellow, Jack." she said, her voice sounded frantic.

"It's okay, calm down." Jack replied. "Pretty clear this isn't some improvised explosive device cooked up by some half-wit undergraduate. There are fail-safes and back-ups." he said.

Alex looked at the timer. A little over four minutes. "Meaning what?" she asked trying to sound brave.

"The conventional explosive will go off once the timer expires. If the uranium isn't removed, it will cause a chain reaction and then a nuclear explosion. You need to remove the shell from the central housing and separate the 2 isotopes. Once you do that, the bomb cannot reach critical mass and will no longer be nuclear. " Jack told her.

"Explain it to me in English, please!" Alex said.

"Sorry." Jack apologized. "The uranium core is surrounded by explosive panels...that's the metal surrounding the ball. If you can separate one of the panels, you maybe able to blow up the outer bomb without the core going into nuclear yield." he explained.

"You have got to be joking!" Aretha screamed through the comms. "You want her to blow up the bomb?" she asked.

"You're serious." Sang-You realized. "You know what you're doing right?" he pressed.

Jack ignore them all and concentrated on Alex. "There's something you need to know..." he told Alex. "Once you've separated the panel from the core, you'll initiate a secondary countdown." he revealed to her.

"How long?" she asked.

"8 seconds, at the very least." Jack answered. "Alex, the device was designed to kill whoever disarms it." he added, his voice sounding so defeated.

Still, Alex put up a brave front. "So...it doesn't matter which panel...just ANY panel will do. I remove one of the panels from the uranium, it's just a bomb. Bombs don't scare me." she told Jack, while she surveyed the area.

"You're forgetting the part where the bomb blows up in your face!" Asher reminded her.

"Hunter, we're almost there!" Zeke stated. "Just a few more minutes!" he told her.

Alex looked at the timer. 1:59 and counting. Not enough time, she realized. She needed to do this now. "Jack?" she called.

"Yes?" Jack replied.

"I love you." she told him.

Jack held his breath. "Tell me again when we see each other." he said to her.

"I will, I promise." Alex assured him. "But just in case...I needed you to know." she insisted.

"Alex?" Jack called her name, but was met with silence. "Alex!" he insisted.

"It's alright, Jack." she replied. "I got this." she told him.

Alex then quickly got to work. With great care, she used the belt again to try and pry off one of the panels. It wouldn't budge. She put a little muscle into it and tried again. She was successful this time. She was able to remove one of the metal panels from the uranium core. She saw the timer sped up and noticed a frantic beeping sound. She stood up and looked for the quickest exit. She saw the window that she broke earlier. Time was almost up. She ran quickly towards the window, and jumped out. Less than a second later, the dojang exploded behind her, throwing her mid-air.

Jack and Sang-Yoo were a few blocks away when they heard the explosion. The Vadzel crew felt the shock waves from the van.

"Alex!" Jack cried out, but there was no answer. They all feared the worst.

They got to the site almost at the same time. They all got out of their vehicles and saw the wreckage. There was no way anybody could have survived that explosion. Aretha, Asher and Zeke looked at the area in shock. Jack merely stood there, frozen. Sang-Yoo took out his phone to call the authorities. He told them to send a broken arrow unit with full HazMat containment, for probable radiation leakage.

"Over here!" Asher yelled.

Jack seemed to snap back to reality once he heard Asher's voice. He quickly ran towards where he was. He then saw what Asher was referring to. It was a pickup truck parked outside the dojang...and in the back was Alex Hunter, laying unconscious. Jack climb at the back, and cradled her head in to his arms. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He looked at her closely and saw some of the injuries she sustained. Her right temple was bleeding, and she was covered with cuts, scrapes and bruises.

"Somebody call for an ambulance!" he heard Aretha yelling.

Jack turned his attention back to Alex. He lightly tapped her on the cheeks, hoping she'd wake up. Her eyelids began to flutter, her eyes half-open.

"Alex?" Jack whispered. "Alex." he said, a little louder this time. "You're going to be fine. You're safe now." he assured her. Alex managed to smile weakly, but soon slipped into unconsciousness again. "No, Alex...stay with me, please." Jack begged her when he saw her close her eyes again. "Where the hell is that ambulance?" he yelled.

* * *

**DONG-EUI MEDICAL CENTER, BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA, HOURS LATER...**

Jack sat vigil by Alex's bedside. He pinched the bridge of his nose. The exhaustion was already taking a toll on him. Zeke and Asher were out to get some food, while Aretha stepped out to get some fresh air...and more coffee. He glanced at his watch. Five hours. It had been five hours since Section 10 extracted his team from North Korea and airlifted them to Busan. Five hours since they prevented a nuclear disaster. Five hours since Alex had lost consciousness. She hasn't woken up since. The doctors were beginning to get worried.

They gave her potassium iodide for any residual radiation from the uranium oxide. As for her injuries, everything else was minor except for the concussion she sustained. The good news is, the MRI showed no signs of skull fracture. The bad news is, the doctors can't be sure about the extent of her head injury as long as she's unconscious. In other words, Alex needed to wake up for her to be okay...the sooner the better.

Jack preferred to stay beside Alex. His head was not in the right place to do anything else. So, he let his partner, Callum, do the report and other paperworks. He left Sang-Yoo in Pyongyang to deal with the aftermath of the explosion. Jack was sure that MI-6 had already came up with a believable cover-up story. He wasn't even worried about that. All he was worried about was the woman who laid unconscious in the hospital bed. The woman whom his heart belonged to.

He reached for her hand and kissed her palm. "Come back to us, Alex. Come back to me." he pleaded. "I need you...we all need you." he whispered. "I promised Nicholas that I'll keep you safe. You need to be alright, or else he'll think that I lied to him." he told her.

And there it was, Jack felt it. Alex lightly squeezed his hand. Moments later, she slowly opened her eyes. Not long after that, a weak smile formed in her lips.

Jack was ecstatic to see her awake. Tears of joy filled his deep blue eyes. He pressed the button to call the medical staff's attention. He then saw her mouth move, as if she was trying to speak. Jack remembered her head injury and fear for the worst.

"Please, say something." he begged her.

Alex's smile grew wider, and she opened her mouth to speak. "I love you, Jack Hartnell." she told him, fulfilling the promise she made earlier.

* * *

**~FINI~**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOOTNOTES :
> 
> *Everything I know about bombs, I learned from watching film and television. I would not recommend using a belt to disarm a portable nuclear device...I just wrote it for dramatic purposes.
> 
> *Yes, you will see more of Jack Hartnell in future. Will he and Neal Caffrey ever meet? Most definitely.
> 
> *Many thanks for reading this story. If you liked it, please feel free to leave comments and kudos.


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